Door stop



June 27, 1967 H. ARENSON 3,328,065

DOOR STOP Filed Sept. '7, 1965 INVENTOR. H ERBERT ARENSON P m 2 4 fiATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,328,065 DOOR STOP Herbert Arenson,Overland Park, Kans., assignor to Maximilian, Incorporated, Kansas City,Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 485,403 2Claims. (Cl. 292--343) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is inan abutment member for use on pile surfaced floor covering such ascarpets, rugs, or the like whereby when positioned thereon to be engagedby a door or other article movable thereover the abutment member forms astop for such movable door or article, the abutment member having ahollow interior for lightness in weight and conservation of material.The abutment member has lower surfaces provided with a plurality ofdownwardly extending rigid projections which are adapted to divide andpass between fibers of the pile surface and bear with load transferringengagement upon the weave or woven backing of the floor covering andwhen so positioned present an upwardly inclined upper surface adapted tobe engaged by a door or the like whereby the force therefrom exerted onthe inclined surfaces transmitted through the projections to the backingof the floor covering, the projections providing the support for theabutment also eliminates the forming of large depressed area of pilefibers and damage to the fibers by forces that would be exerted by adoor acting upon a conventional door stop having the fiat bottomsurfaceengaged with the pile fibers.

It is common practice to place stop members with wedge-shaped feet onfloor surfaces in the path of movement of a door and presenting aninclined face toward the door to be engaged thereby so that saidinclined face will resist further movement of the door. Also,wedge-shaped members made of rubber or other resilent material have beenused as door stops, and such stops have smooth bottom faces positionedon a smooth floor to resist sliding movement of the wedge-shaped memberon such floors. However, when such members have been used on pilesurface fioor covering and the like, engagement by the door will causesaid member to move over the surface and not hold the door or thewedgeshaped member must be held and the door wedged upwardly thereonwith such great force as to cause the pile fibers to be matted down orcrushed so that when the door stop is moved there are unsightlydepressions or spots visible that detract from the appearance. Also, theengagement of the fiat bottom surface of the wedgeshaped members withthe fibers of the floor covering may exert a lateral force on the pilefibers, tending to weaken or break same, resulting in damage to thecovermg.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide anabutment member adapted to be positioned on pile surface floor coveringand be engaged by a door or other article movable thereover to form astop therefor that eliminates the forming of large depressed areas ofpile fibers and damage to the fibers by forces exerted by the article ordoor; to provide such an abutment member with a plurality of spacedfloor covering engaging portions depending therefrom and an upwardlyinclined upper surface adapted to be engaged by a door or the likewhereby the force therefrom exerted on the inclined surface istransmitted through the floor covering engaging portions to the backing.of the pile surface floor covering; to provide such a structure whereinthe abutment member has a hollow interior opening at the bottom anddefined by downwardly facing marginal portions with a plurality ofdownwardly extending rigid projections on such undersurface which areadapted to divide and pass between the fibers of the pile surface andbear with load-transferring engagement upon the weave or woven backingof the fioor covering; to provide such a structure wherein theprojections are substantially the height of the pile surface whereby thewalls of the wedge-shaped body are supported above the top of the pilesurface; and to provide a door stop or the like forming an abutmentmember for doors or articles movable over pile surface floor coveringsthat is economical to manufacture, durable in use, providing adequateload distribution with a minimum of depression and wear of pile fibersof pile surfaced floor coverings.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an abutment member positioned under a doorand resting on a pile-surfaced floor covering.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the abutment membertaken on the line 22, FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the abutment member.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the abutment member takenon the line 4-4, FIG. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The abutment member, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a bodymember 1 having an upper inclined surface 2 adapted to be engaged by anarticle such as a door 3 movable above a pile surface of a floorcovering 5 covering a fioor 6. The body member has a bottom surface 7provided with a plurality of spaced rigid depending projections 8. Inthe illustrated structure, the abutment member is preferably moldable asone piece of substantially rigid material such as high impact styrene,polyethylene or the like. For lightness in weight and economy ofmanufacture, it is preferred that the structure be substantially hollow,having an interior cavity 9 open at the bottom as at 10.

The structure illustrated has a long inclined top front wall 11preferably on an angle of approximately 20 degrees with the horizontaland having the upper surface 2 thereon. It is preferred that the surface2 be of a relatively non-skid type provided with grooves or serrationswhich, in .the illustrated structure, consists of alternate ridges 12and grooves 13 extending longitudinally of the body with each of theridges having a plurality of spaced transverse grooves 14 asillustrated. At the uppermost end 15 of the inclined wall 11, it mergeswith a downwardly sloping rear wall 16. The sides of the cavity areclosed by opposed side walls 17 that are connected to the wall 11 andrear wall 16. It is preferred that the side walls 17 be inclinedslightly whereby they diverge downwardly and the side walls 17 and rearwall 16 merge at their lower portions in an outwardly extendingperipheral bottom flange 18 which presents the bottom surface 7 fromwhich the projections 8 depend. Also, at the forward end 19 the wall 11terminates in a bottom surface portion 20 that is part of the bottomsurface 7. For adding rigidity and strength, it is preferred that asuitable rib 21 extend transversely midway between the ends of the bodyand connecting the side walls 17 and the inclined wall 11.

It is preferred that the projections 8 have a suitable length thatsemi-spherical or rounded tips 22 engage the upper face of the wovenbacking 23 of the floor covering 5 and support the body member 1 whereinthe underface 7 is slightly above the pile surface 4. The tips 22 of theprojections must be small enough to divide and pass between the pilefibers without tending to tuck the fibers beneath the pile surface andthe tips must not be so small or pointed that they will harmfullypenetrate the woven backing 23 under the force resulting from thearticle 3 engaging the surface 2. Also, the spacing of the projectionsis such that they prevent the pile fibers from becoming wedged betweenthe projections and being pressed below the pile surface.

It is preferred that the width of the flange 18 extending outwardly fromthe side and rear walls be progressively increasing from the forward end19 to the rear end 24 with the rearward width of the surface beingsubstantially the same as the width at the lower end of the rear wall16, as illustrated in FIG. 3. It is also preferred that the projections8 vary in shape as, for example, the projections 25 on the forward thirdof the bottom surface are preferably circular in cross-section and taperdownwardly to the respective rounded end 22 whereby said projections aregenerally base up cones. One projection 26 at the forward end is alsotapered but is of greater width and substantially cor-responding to theprojections 27 in the rear two-thirds of the bottom surface wherein theprojections are tapered but generally oval in cross-section and havetheir greatest width extending transversely of the body. The tips 22 ofall of the projections preferably lie substantially in a common plane sothat the bottom surface 7 of the body will be substantially horizontalor parallel with the floor surface. It is also preferred that theinclined surface 2 be in the nature of l-inch in width and that theprojections have a spacing of approximately -inch.

In using an abutment member constructed substantially as illustrated anddescribed, the body member 1 is placed with the projections downwardlyon a pile surface floor covering in the path of movement of a door orarticle 3 with the inclined surface 2 generally facing the directionfrom which the door or article will move. The body member is thenpressed downwardly whereby the projections 8 part and extend between thepile fibers and engage the woven backing 23. The door or article 3 isthen swung or moved whereby it engages the inclined surface 2 and isforced thereagainst to apply pressure to hold the body member 1downwardly and maintain the engagement of the rounded ends 22 of theprojections 8 with the woven backing 23. The projections support theload with the body member above the pile surface 4, and there aresuitable elongated bearing areas in the projections 27, together withthe points of the projections 25 engaging the woven backing of the floorcovering to resist any sliding either longitudinally or transverselyrelative to the body member whereby the abutment member forms aneffective stop for the door or article 3.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described oneform of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form orarrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as suchlimitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A door stop adapted to be interposed between a door bottom edge and afloor covering having a woven backing with a pile fiber surface to limitmovement of said door in one direction comprising,

(a) an elongate body portion with an inclined top front wall terminatingin a downwardly extending rear wall and opposed side walls connected tothe top front and rear wall, said top front wall having a forward end,

(b) said side and rear walls being of increased width at lower portionsthereof,

(0) said side walls and rear wall and the forward end of the top frontwall having coplanar bottom surfaces,

(d) and a pluarlity of spaced rounded tipped rigid projections dependingfrom said bottom surfaces of each of said walls and adapted to separateand pass between the pile fibers of the floor covering and engage thewoven backing to support the body member above the pile fibers of thefloor covering and transmit forces to the woven backing in response toengagement of a door with said inclined top front surface.

2. A door step as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stop is a one-piecemolded member, and the bottom surfaces are progressively wider fromfront to rear of the body, said projection tapering downwardly from saidbottom surfaces with the projections depending from the bottom surfacesof the rear wall and adjacent portions of the side walls being generallyoval in cross section with the greatest width thereof transverselyrelative to said side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,354,046 9/1920 Lanning 292-3431,958,807 5/1934 Thompson 292-343 1,999,111 4/ 1935 Schaeht 292--3432,301,385 11/1942 Ehrgott 248-346.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 956,671 4/ 1964 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner.

1. A DOOR STOP ADAPTED TO BE INTERPOSED BETWEEN A DOOR BOTTOM EDGE AND AFLOOR COVERING HAVING A WOVEN BACKING WITH A PILE FIBER SURFACE TO LIMITMOVEMENT OF SAID DOOR IN ONE DIRECTION COMPRISING, (A) AN ELONGATE BODYPORTION WITH AN INCLINED TOP FRONT WALL TERMINATING IN A DOWNWARDLYEXTENDING REAR WALL AND OPPOSED SIDE WALLS CONNECTED TO THE TOP FRONTAND REAR WALL, SAID TOP FRONT WALL HAVING A FORWARD END, (B) SAID SIDEAND REAR WALLS BEING OF INCREASED WIDTH AT LOWER PORTIONS THEREOF, (C)SAID SIDE WALLS AND REAR WALL AND THE FORWARD END OF THE TOP FRONT WALLHAVING COPLANAR BOTTOM SURFACES, (D) AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED ROUNDEDTIPPED RIGID PROJECTIONS DEPENDING FROM SAID BOTTOM SURFACES OF EACH OFSAID WALLS AND ADAPTED TO SEPARATE AND PASS BETWEEN THE PILE FIBERS OFTHE FLOOR COVERING AND ENGAGE THE WOVEN BACKING TO SUPPORT THE BODYMEMBER ABOVE THE PILE FIBERS OF THE FLOOR COVERING AND TRANSMIT FORCESTO THE WOVEN BACKING IN RESPONSE TO ENGAGE OF A DOOR WITH SAID INCLINEDTOP FRONT SURFACES.